¡Viva la Música! in Pasco schools

Music, drama, and art is such an important part of a child’s education, yet all too often those programs are the first to be cut when budgets are tight. The Pasco School District is no different, and recently the community most impacted has been East Pasco.  

Heidi Nelson, a retired choir teacher and friend of mine, is spearheading a project called ¡Viva la Música! to restore the choir and drama programs through a partnership with the Academy of Children’s Theatre, professional Latino musicians, local businesses, and support from our community. I sat down with Heidi to talk about this amazing project. 

TM: What inspired you to take on such a big project and why is it so important? 

HN: My first inspiration is, and always will be, the students. I was a choir teacher at Ochoa Middle School for 15 years. The students in East Pasco never ceased to impress me with their talent, generosity, and courage. I transferred to the high school to teach history, but I never stopped following those amazing students as they participated in their high school music programs. I know what they are capable of, and I know that choir and drama are important to them. 

With the impact of COVID and the shift to online instruction, enrollment in choir programs across the country dwindled. This was no different in Pasco. Because the middle schools had thriving choir programs prior to COVID, choir programs at Pasco High and Chiawana High survived in spite of the many difficulties related to teaching music online. But the middle school choir programs dwindled. Reduced enrollment finally resulted in a decision to remove choir from both Ochoa and Stevens Middle School curricula. 

But I am a firm believer in doing all we can to provide equitable educational opportunities across all programs in the district. The absence of choir offerings at the two middle schools … will result in further declining enrollment in the Pasco High choir program. This will likely lead to the same decision to remove choir from Pasco High School. 

This is not okay. We need a grass roots effort to remedy this situation, and an after-school program seemed to be a good place to start. 

TM: You put together similar programs when you were teaching. Describe the style of ¡Viva la Música! and why you chose this particular format.

HN: I chose this format because I could tailor it to my students. They were interested in history, so I created a program that included a little history mixed with singing, dancing, and acting. The first project of this nature when I was teaching was so successful that I just continued with this model. The students really loved learning about the history of various musical genres in the U.S, but they also loved the singing, dancing, acting, and costumes that come with musical theater. 

Because choir enrollment grew steadily after these types of programs were introduced, I decided it would be a good model to generate interest in an after-school choir program at the two middle schools. Because musical theater seemed to be key, it was a happy coincidence that the Academy of Children’s Theatre was interested in outreach to Pasco, so we teamed up. We are also collaborating with the choir and drama teachers at Pasco High School with the goal of creating arts communities in the new neighborhood school model that the Pasco School District has adopted. 

TM: You’ve gotten quite a bit of support for this project from local businesses and organizations. Tell me about some of them and how that support came about.

HN: I personally believe the support is a result of the nature of the project itself. It is not just about a final production; it is about community education, cultural celebrations, and support for students who are underserved due to circumstances beyond their control. I believe that anybody who pays any attention to the arts in our community knows that these programs in the schools are a vital part of a healthy community in general. 

The local businesses and organizations that have pledged support are run by leaders who know that. Saul Martinez, owner of Café con Arte in East Pasco, is one of those leaders. Saul is all about celebrating and supporting the local community. The show we chose to start with is specifically about celebrating Latino culture and Latino contributions to not just our community, but to communities in the U.S. across the board at a time when these reminders are important.

While there are healthy band and orchestra programs at both East Pasco middle schools, the absence of choir results in several inequities between the programs — most notably, the fact that for choir, there is no cost associated with purchasing an instrument. Also, if you have ever spoken with anyone who was involved in choir or drama during their school years, you know that these were more than classes; choir and drama are affirming and inclusive communities that are vital for mental health and social stability.

TM: A project like this takes a lot of community support, including financial support. You have quite a few events leading up to the student performances of ¡Viva La Música! What is on the schedule for September, and what other things are happening in the next few months? 

HN: Our first community event is a free Salsa night on September 11 at the Grandview Amphitheater as part of their summer music program. We put a salsa band together specifically for this project, and will perform for this and other events as a way to serve the community while also getting the word out for the project and the student show in January. The Salsa band will also be performing at a Salsa night in Prosser at the Princess Theater on October 10. Proceeds from this event will go towards the ¡Viva La Música! production. 

Community education is also a component of this project, and we have two guest presenters scheduled for the fall. Antonio Gomez and his Trio Guadalevin will be presenting a concert and lecture on September 26 at The Vine Church in Pasco (9915 W Argent Road), and Jennifer Vigil will be speaking about cultural pride at Café con Arte on October 24. Both events are free of charge to the public with donations gladly accepted. 

Community art events will also be held at Café con Arte as well, including ‘Nicho Painting’ on October 30, and ‘Paint an Album Cover’ on November 21, with Latino musical artists being the theme of both. There will be a minimal charge for art events to pay for materials and to support local artists who will be mentoring art students as they create backdrops and art for an exciting historical lobby exhibit. 

TM: I know you are really excited about Antonio Gomez and Trio Guadalevin performing this month. How did you manage to book him? Why is his lecture and performance important to our community?

HN: I booked Antonio several years back as part of a similar grant. The music teachers at Ochoa Middle School were so impressed with the work he did with our students, it was a no-brainer to ask him back for the third iteration of ¡Viva La Música! His presentation has grown considerably, and now includes a trio of musicians who are committed to sharing this vital history. 

Another exciting element recently added to his program is a musical and historical exploration of the role Latinos have played in Washington state history. This is incredibly timely work — especially for our community. We believe that knowledge of history is a crucial piece as we make decisions about our communities going forward. 

TM: Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?

HN: Readers need to know that as things stand currently, students in East Pasco middle schools have no choir programs, which means there will soon be no choir at Pasco High School. We are starting this program to reignite interest in choir so that in the future, we can restore choir to the curriculum at both schools, as well as providing opportunities for students to be involved in musical theater and to be mentored by students in the high school programs.

For more information, email hnelson9146@charter.net or call (509) 851-5432 

Follow us on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578029871770 

Do you want to help bring music and drama to Pasco students?

Donate at https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?donation=aoct

Choose “Viva la Música” in the dropdown menu, or write it in the Donation Details.

You can also mail a check to: 

Academy of Children’s Theatre
213 Wellsian Way, Richland, WA 99354

Make sure to write “Viva la Música” on the memo line!

^{Images courtesy of ¡Viva la Música!}